'How can you do something like that to your own daughter': Grandpa asked son who sexually abused 8-year-old

The_King · November 28, 2022

SINGAPORE: An intoxicated man sexually assaulted his eight-year-old daughter with a device but was disrupted when his elderly father returned home.

The victim's grandfather saw the girl without any bottoms on and crying out: "Grandfather, save me, save me". When he realised what had happened, he confronted his son and said: "How can you do something like that to your own daughter?"

The offender, 37, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months' jail and 12 strokes of the cane on Monday (Nov 28).

He cannot be named due to gag orders protecting the identity of the victim, who is now nine.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual assault by penetration and an unrelated charge of stealing a power-assisted bike. Another three charges were taken into consideration.

The court heard that the victim is the child of the offender and his ex-girlfriend. She did not know her mother, who left her when she was young.

The girl's main caregivers were her paternal grandparents, as her father had to work.

The victim, the offender and the offender's parents lived together in a three-room Housing Board flat together with other relatives.

On the morning of May 25, 2021, the girl woke up and had breakfast at the dining table, which was near her father's mattress in the living room.

She greeted her father before eating breakfast. Her grandfather went out for a stroll, and her grandmother went back into the master bedroom to sleep.

While the offender was alone with the victim in the living room, he decided to sexually assault his daughter.

He retrieved a device and lubricant from the storeroom before sexually assaulting his daughter. She said "father, I don't want", but he ignored her.

After a while, the offender heard his father returning from his stroll. He quickly stopped his actions and rushed towards the kitchen, where he hid the items.

The victim's grandfather entered the house and saw the victim on her father's mattress wearing only a shirt. She said: "Grandfather, save me, save me."

He asked her what happened, and she told him that her "below" area was painful.

Realising something was wrong, the victim's grandfather shouted to his wife for help. He then confronted his son and said: "How can you do something like that to your own daughter?"

The offender did not admit to his misconduct and instead claimed that his daughter was lying. By this point, the victim's aunt woke up and took the crying victim into her bedroom to comfort her.

After learning what happened, the aunt confronted the offender and told him that they would call the police if he kept denying his actions. The man did not respond but kept quiet.

The victim's grandparents confronted their son, with the grandmother asking if he was an animal. The man kept his silence, while his mother continued to scold him and said she would call the police.

The man then said he was sorry and he would not do it again. He pleaded with the victim's grandmother for one more chance.

The victim's grandmother later asked the victim to forgive her father, and she agreed. The victim's grandparents later decided not to call the police.

However, the victim's aunt continued to feel uneasy about the matter and confided in her sister the next day. Her sister decided that a police report ought to be made and asked her husband to do so.

After the offender found out that the police were being alerted, he fled from the house and was found by officers two days later, hiding under a flyover in Ang Mo Kio.

A total of 21 police officers were involved in the 2-day stakeout.

VICTIM AND OFFENDER ASSESSED

The victim was taken to hospital. A psychological test found that she was in the intellectual disability range of intelligence.

The accused was assessed by a psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health. He was found to be intoxicated with alcohol around the time of the offence.

He had borderline intellectual functioning, but did not meet the criterion for intellectual disability. Despite his intoxication, he was cognisant and aware that his actions were both morally and legally wrong.

He admitted that he had wanted to explore a sexual fantasy by deliberately using the device on his daughter, while pretending she was his ex-girlfriend.

The prosecution sought a jail term of between 10 years and eight months' jail and 11 years and nine months' jail for the man, with 12 strokes of the cane.

They said the man had abused his position and breached his daughter's trust. The victim was especially young and vulnerable - she was of a tender age and a smaller physical size than her father, with an IQ of 67, they said.

Source: CNA/ll(rj)